"Where am I to seek thee in case of need?" asked Tutmosis.
"Oho! ho!" laughed the heir. "Seek me nowhere. I shall appear of myself when the trumpet is sounded."
And throwing over his shoulders a long mantle with a hood, he slipped out to the garden. Through the garden were prowling soldiers, kitchen boys, and other servants. In the whole space about the palace order had disappeared, as usual before an expedition. Noting this, Ramses turned to the densest part of the park, found a little arbor formed of grape- vines, and threw himself on a bench satisfied.
"Here neither priests nor women will find me," muttered the viceroy.
He fell asleep immediately, and slept like a stone.
Kama had felt ill for some days. To her irritation was joined some peculiar weakness and pain in the joints. Then there was an itching of her face, but especially of her forehead above the eyebrows.
These minute symptoms seemed to her so alarming that she ceased to dread assassination, but straightway she sat down before a mirror, and told her servants to withdraw and leave her. At such times she thought neither of Ramses nor the hated Sarah; all her attention was fixed on those spots which an untrained eye would not have even noticed.
"A spot yes, these are spots," whispered she, full of terror. "Two, three O Astaroth, but Thou wilt not punish thy priestess in this way! Death would be better But again what folly! If I rub my forehead, the spots will be redder. Evidently something has bitten me, or I have used impure oil in anointing. I will wash, and the spots will be gone by to- morrow."
The morrow came, but the spots had not vanished.
Kama called a servant.